


quiet grace

by Ren_Maisley



Series: FE3H Fluffcember 2020 [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Drabble, Female My Unit | Byleth, Fluff, Fluffcember 2020, Gen, Marianne von Edmund Needs A Hug, Mentioned Leonie Pinelli, Mentioned Lysithea von Ordelia, Perfect Tea Time (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Self-Esteem Issues, Tea, Tea Parties, happy tears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:07:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27948044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ren_Maisley/pseuds/Ren_Maisley
Summary: Byleth asks Marianne to join her for tea time. Marianne has no idea why.Written for Fluffcember Day 1: "Sharing a drink"
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund & My Unit | Byleth
Series: FE3H Fluffcember 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2046761
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	quiet grace

Marianne was sitting at the edge of her seat. She may have gotten used to her professor when she lectured or led them to battle, but sitting with her one-on-one for tea time wasn’t the most comfortable thing.

It was the eyes: the Professor was startlingly beautiful (especially next to someone like her), but Marianne couldn’t quite meet the Professor’s unwavering stare. She didn’t quite like being looked at, and certainly not this closely.

“Marianne.”

The bluenette froze up, and slowly brought herself to face her teacher. “Y-yes, Professor?”

“Do you know why I asked to have tea time with you today?” She was leaning forward a bit, her chin resting on her hands. There was no steam coming from Byleth’s cup of tea, but it remained untouched on the table between them.

Marianne’s tea was full too, and now the thought of drinking it was the furthest from her mind because of the question before her.

“D-did I mess up in the last battle? Did someone complain about me? I-I’m so sor—“

“Marianne, I wanted to express my gratitude to you,” the Professor said seriously. She gestured to the cups in front of them. “Lavender is your favorite, correct? Lorenz told me a good host should learn their guests tastes, so I—“

“Wait a moment,” Marianne said, her eyes growing larger. “You wanted to thank me? Truly? Whatever for?”

“Well,” Byleth started, leaning back a bit. “You noticed the problem with the horseshoes for Leonie’s mount. Had you not caught that, something may have gone wrong in that last skirmish.”

“B-but, I,” Marianne stuttered, grasping the edge of the table. “Lysithea’s powerful magic saved us threefold during that battle! Why aren’t you thanking her instead? Compared to her, I was useless….”

“I am thanking you,” Byleth said, with something akin to a smile on her lips, “because the small and quiet acts of graciousness are the ones that go without thanks the most.”

She finally took a sip from her tea cup. “And I want to make sure, Marianne, that you are acknowledged for the _good_ you bring to others. Every time.”

It was Marianne’s turn to stare. The runniness of her nose and the moisture in her eyes were all too familiar to her, but what was this tightness in her chest right now? How could she weep from anything other than despair?

Byleth let a small puff of air from her nose. She held something out to Marianne: a few patches of cloth.

“Here, take these. In case you spill your tea.” Byleth’s eyes seemed softer now, less intimidating.

Marianne took them and dabbed at the edge of her vision slowly.

“Thank you, Professor. Thank you.”


End file.
